The use of computer systems and computer-related technologies continues to increase at a rapid pace. This increased use of computer systems has influenced the advances made to computer-related technologies. Indeed, computer systems have increasingly become an integral part of the business world and the activities of individual consumers. Computer systems may be used to carry out several business, industry, and academic endeavors. The wide-spread use of computers has been accelerated by the increased use of computer networks, including the Internet.
Many businesses use one or more computer networks to communicate and share data between the various computers connected to the networks. The productivity and efficiency of employees often requires human and computer interaction. Users of computer technologies continue to demand that the efficiency of these technologies increase. Improving the efficiency of computer technologies is important to anyone who uses and relies on computers.
Software may be installed on computers to provide various functionalities. For example, software may be installed on a computer to detect and identify possible threats to the computer (e.g., viruses, malware, worms, etc.). In some instances, the software may not operate correctly after being installed on a computer. In addition, the user of the computer may not fully understand the capabilities of the software and may have questions relating to the functionality of the software. Further, a virus (or other harmful malware) may infect a computer, causing the computer to malfunction. In some cases, the user may not be able to use the computer to request assistance from the creator of the software. For example, if the computer is malfunctioning, the user may not desire to connect the computer to an external network (for safety precautions) in order to receive troubleshooting assistance from a server of the company that created the software. As a result, benefits may be realized by providing systems and methods for remotely troubleshooting a software problem occurring on a computing device.